Man accused of enslaving woman to be sentenced

Associated Press

CLEVELAND - A man accused of enslaving a mentally disabled woman in northeast Ohio could receive life in prison when he's sentenced Tuesday in federal court in Youngstown.

Jordie Callahan was found guilty in March of forced labor, conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and a drug charge. While federal guidelines call for a sentence of 30 years to life, the judge can give him a lesser sentence.

Prosecutors contend that the 27-year-old Callahan and his girlfriend forced the woman to do chores, cook and shop for them by threatening to harm the woman's daughter. The girlfriend, 31-year-old Jessica Hunt, was found guilty of the same charges and is expected to be sentenced Thursday.

Callahan and Hunt's attorneys are seeking a new trial and have argued that government witnesses were unreliable.